Electric heater



E. C. ADAMS ELECTRIC HEATER Dec. 14,1948.

Filed April 10, 1945 Patented Dec. 14, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEELECTRIC HEATER Edwin 0. Adams, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignor to Adams Bros.Mfg. 00., Inc., Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of PennsylvaniaApplication April 10, 1945, Serial No. 587,642

5 Claims.

' My invention relates to an improvement in electric heaters, and whilenot necessarily so limited in its use, is more especially adapted foruse in heaters of the radiant electric type, and particularly heatersdesigned for home use, such as small upright stoves or wall heaters.

' In'heaters of this kind one of the principal problems which confrontsthe user is that of replacing the heating elements when they burn out.An object of this invention is to reduce this problem to a minimum sothat the replacing of the heating elements is not much more difficultthan that of replacing a burned-out light bulb. This eliminates thenecessity of the user, if he is inexperienced as most people are, ortimid about electricity, calling in a skilled electrician every time hehas a burned-out heating element. It also makes it possible for themanufacturer to dispense the heating elements as a staple articlethrough hardware or other convenient community outlets.

Another problem which confronts the marketing of this kind of heater isthe original cost to the consumer which is brought about by the cost ofmanufacture to the producer. With this thought in mind it is also anobject of this invention to provide a heater of the above-describedcharacter which, is simple and inexpensive to manufacture and assemble.

These and various other objects and advanment container 5 is arranged,there is provided a heat-deflecting casing 53. This casing which isformed of thin material substantially in the shape of an open-top box isheld in place by machine screws I engaged in lugs 8 comprising a part ofor suitably secured to the back of the frame I.

To provide with the frame I a housing for the assembly and also assistin deflecting the heat generated in the heating elements 9 so as toprotect the wall in which the unit may be mounted, a second casing I Iis provided. This casing is also preferably made of light material inthe shape of an open-topped box having flanges I2 at its two ends bymeans of which it is secured to the frame I through the agency of screwbolts I3 which are mounted in aligned openings in the frame I and theflanges I2.

As shown best in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, the heating element container 5comprises a rectangular diskshaped casting or stamping which is open atthe top and bottom except for a centrally disposed strip I4 extendingacross its bottom and which with an inwardly extending flange l5 also onthe bottom of the container forms a support for the heating elements 9.

These heating elements 9, the details of which comprise no part of thepresent invention, may

tages of my invention will be readily apparent when the followingdetailed description is read in conjunction with the attached drawings.As shown in these drawings, Figure l is a front elevationa] view of aheater incorporating an embodiment of the invention and which isdesigned to fit into a wall recess; Figure 2 is a vertical section ofthe same heater taken on the line 11-11 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is ahorizontal sectional view taken on the line III-III of Fig. 1; Figure 4is a side elevation of the same heater; Figure 5 is a plane view lookingupwardly from the bottom of the heater, and Figure 6 is a fragmentaryview on a somewhat enlarged scale showing the hook and lug arrangementby means of which the heating element container is supported in theheater frame.

Referring in detail to these drawings, the numeral I designates theframe Iproper of the heater. As shown, the center of this frame isprovided with a large central opening 3, over the lower portion of whicha cover plate 4 is removably mounted and in the remaining upper portionof which a heating element supporting container or assembly 5 isdemountably secured.

' Immediately back of that portion of the opening- 3 of the frame I'inwhich the heating elebe made in any suitable way, being shown here of aconstruction substantially the same as that illustrated and described inUnited States Letters Patent No. 1,657,808, and held in the container 5by the rods I6 which are mounted in, but insulated from, the containeras disclosed in that patent so as to also constitute the terminals forthe heating elements proper.

At the sides thereof the heating element container 5 is provided nearits upper end with laterally extending hook-shaped lugs I! which arearranged to be engaged with rearwardly and upwardly projecting lugs [8attached to or formed on the rear face of the frame I to detachably holdthe heating element container 5 in the frame. On the lower end of theheating element container 5 there is provided in the center thereof adownwardly projecting lug I9 which is disposed to fit under and engagethe lower side 9 of an opencentered rectangular-shaped bracket 2| whichis formed on or secured to the frame I to provide a support for a toggleswitch 22.

The cover plate 4 for convenience of assembling and replacing theheating element container 5 is provided at its lower end with spacedlugs 23 which are formed to fit back of the frame I while its upper endrests on the switch-supporting bracket 2 I. For fixedly holding both thecover plate 4 and the heating element container in place, a screw bolt24 is employed and fitted in aligned holes in the cover plate and thelug I9 on the lower end of heating element container 5, the hole in thecontainer lug I9 being threaded to receive the bolt.

Another feature of the assembly is embodied in the design andarrangement of a guard 2% which is provided to protect the heatingelements 9. This guard as shown is made in the shape of a grid out ofcross Wires which are Welded together. The two laterally most disposedvertical wires 25 of this guard are made longer than the rest and bentat their ends so that at the upper ends they have bent portions 27 whichfit in openings 28, provided for their reception in the upper wall ofthe heating element container 5., and at their lower ends with bentportions 29 which fit in between the top of the container and the innerface of the cover plate the latter being preferably provided withnotches for their reception to hold them firmly in place.

Any suitable toggle switch 22 may be mounted by screw bolts in thebracket 2i and provided with leads, 3.0 for connecting it to theterminals 16 of the heating elements 9 and thehousing casing ll providedwith a knockout opening 3! by means of which the current supply may beconveniently connected to switch 22.

To afford a passage for circulating air through the heater the coverplate lis provided with louvres 32 and the frame l at the top thereofwith similar louvres 33.

As will be readily appreciated from the foregoing description, the onlyoperations required to replace a heating element container 5 once it isburned out is to remove the screw 24, take off the cover plate 4 andguard lift out the heating element container 5, disconnect the leads 30from the oil container, reconnect these leads 30 to the new container,hook the new container in place, replace the guard and cover plate 25and 4 respectively, and put the screw 2d back in place. The originalassembly of the unit merely involves the latter operations. With such anarrangement the heating element assembly 5 can be made up forreplacements and sold similar to light bulbs.

It is to be understood, of course, that various modifications of theforegoing improvement may be embodied in a heater construction withoutdeparting from the spirit of my invention, and all such modificationsare intended to be covered by the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an electric heater, in combination a main frame having an openingtherein, a heating element container insertable from the front into saidopening, a lug secured to said frame for supporting said container, ahook on said container for engaging said lug, a cover plate for aportion of said opening adjacent that portion filled by said container,a lug on said cover plate disposed to make locking engagement with saidframe, a lug on said container for engaging said cover plate, anddetachable element for securing said cover plate to said last-mentionedlug and locking the cover plate and the heating element containersecurely in said main frame.

2. In an electric heater, in combination a main frame having an openingtherein, supporting lugs secured to said frame at the sides of saidopening, a heating element assembly insertable from the front into saidopening and having a hook member at each side thereof for engaging saidlugs, a cover plate to fit over the portion of said opening adjacent.the portion filled by said heating element.

assembly, a lug on said cover plate disposed to make locking engagementwith said frame to hold the plate in place, a lug on the end of saidheating element assembly disposed to engage the inner face of said coverplate and a detachable element disposed to connect said;- cover plate tosaid lastmentioned lug and lock the cover plate and the heating element;assembly securely in said main frame.

3 In an electric heater, in combination a main frame having an openingtherein, supporting lugs onsa-id frame at the sides of said opening, aheating: element. container insertable from the front into said openingand having a hook member at each side thereof for engaging said lugs, aswitchsupporting bracket secured to said frame at the end of the openingin t e frame opposite that to which the heating element container isattached, a cover plate to. fit over the. portion of. the openingadjacent the portion filled by said container and rest on said bracket,a. lug, on said cover plate dis.- posed to makev locking. engagementwith said frame, a lug on said container disposed to engage. said coverplate, and screw means for removably connecting said latter lug to saidcoverplate and locking the cover plate and the heating element containersecurely in said main frame,

4. In an. electric heater,v in combination a main frame, having anopenin therein, a heating element container insertable from the. front.in said opening, a lug secured to said frame. for detach: ably suporting said container, a hook on said container for engaging said lug,a cover plate for.

a portion of said opening, adjacent the, portion filled by saidcontainena lug on said. cover plate for engaging. said frame, a-lug onsaid container for engaging said cover plate, a. guard adapted to fitover that portion of. the opening. in said frame.

filled by said container, means at one end of said. guard fordemountably engaging, it with said container, meansv at the other endfor engaging. itv between said. container and said cover plate, andmeans. for detachably connecting said cover plate. to, said lug on thecontainer.

5. In an electric heater, in combination a main frame having an openingtherein,, a. heating el e. ment container insertable fromthe. frontintosaid opening, supporting lugsv for said container secured to said frameat. the sides of said opening, hook members. on the side. of said.container. for. engaging said lugs, a. wire guard disposed to fit oversaid container and having, projections. at. one. end fitting into.openings in said container and projections at the other. end disposed torest on said container, a cover plate tofit over the portion of saidopening adjacent. that filled. by said 60,11. tainer, lugs on said coverplate. for enga i g Said frame, a lug on said container for engagingjaid cover plate and means for detachably secu ing. saidcover plate tosaid last-mentioned lug and for locking the projections on said guardadj adent to. the latter between the cover plate and said container.

EDWIN. o. ADAMS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the:

' file of this patent:

V UNITED STATES PATENTS,

